


Wake up with a beating heart

by Resamille



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, I Love You's and all that gay shit, M/M, a tiny bit of angst, help these two are cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-30 21:36:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10885389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resamille/pseuds/Resamille
Summary: First times like this were supposed to be shared whispers in quiet moments of love-making or meaningful milestones in a relationship, but he supposes he and Lance have never actually done anything by the books. They fly giant robot cats, after all.(In the aftermath of a battle, nothing is certain, but damn if Keith is going to let Lance slip through his fingers.)





	Wake up with a beating heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yuisaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuisaki/gifts).



> I wrote this in approximately 45 mins, produced another solidly glorious terrible typo, and it was real gay all because of discord.
> 
> "which gay do i ask for holy shit  
> this is so much power,,  
> oh  
> klance reunion after one of them thought the other had died in battle  
> ,,,established relationship" - yui
> 
> Title from Living Louder by The Cab (which is a great heckin' song for VLD in general).

Keith's ears ring in the silence after the battle. It was brutal, relentless, in the way the Galra seemed to never end, to never stop to breath. They were always a single wall of enemies, driven and nearly overwhelming in their numbers alone.

But then the robeast had crashed through one of the Galra's own ships, and Keith had felt his chest tighten with the impossibility that this might be their last battle.

Even his doubt, however, was not enough for the Galra to take them down. Shiro rallied, Allura brought on cover fire, and one Voltron formation later they had brought the beast down, and with it enough Galra ships to make the fleet look a little less daunting.

Except for the fact that Lance hasn't spoken since they deformed Voltron to finish off the fleet, and then when one of the last ships managed to land a ion cannon shot right at Blue, Keith felt the world freeze for a moment. Lance, his heart chanted, echoing Red's call for her fellow lion, and between the two of them, they finished off the fleet with the unbridled fury of terror for Lance's wellbeing.

Keith landed the last shot, and yet still was the first one to the crash sight, where Blue's large frame lay crumpled in the soft dirt of the planet they had been orbiting. He flings himself from Red's cockpit, and slams his hands harshly into the metal of Blue's jaw, feeling the sting of impact jolt up his arms and down his spine.

“Lance!” Keith screams, praying for a response. “Lance, please! Lance!”

Keith hits Blue's metal maw again, ignoring the sharp pain from the force. This can't be it. Lance has taken countless hits before—but—but he hadn't spoken at all after that blow to Voltron's leg, and maybe... Maybe this entire time.

Keith feels tears prick the corner of his eyes. “Nonono,” he cries, forehead resting against the too-warm material of Blue's pelt. She's overheated, and her eyes stare dully forward. Not good, not good. “Lance! Come on! Open up!”

Keith pulls desperately at Blue's jaw, trying to pry open her mouth. He has to get to Lance, has to make sure he's okay. He can't—Keith doesn't want to entertain the idea that something might have happened to him, because Lance is the only thing keeping him sane in this damn war. The team would fall apart without him, this vital piece of blue eyes and laughter spilling from wide smiles.

He needs to tell Lance that, Keith realizes.

He needs to know how much Keith needs him.

He can't—he can't leave without knowing—he... can't.

Keith stumbles back uselessly, panting. Does he dare draw his bayard to use as leverage on Blue? Would that hurt her more than she's already damaged?

 _Red, help me_ , Keith pleads, because he doesn't know what else to do.

And to his stunned surprise, Red rises from her seated position, settles down next to Blue, and lets a purr thrum through her body, pressed closed enough to vibrate against Blue's metal.

For a moment, nothing happens—and then Blue's eyes start out with the faint glow of life, and with a groan, her jaw creaks open, just enough for Keith to slip through, heart pounding anxiously in his bruised ribcage.

His footsteps stutter forward on the awkward tilt of Blue's insides, and he has to crawl at some point to squeeze into the cockpit, armor snagging painfully as it catches on the narrow passageways. Blue tilts her head slightly, and it's just enough of an adjustment that Keith doesn't have to walk along the wall of the cockpit and can instead stand awkwardly upright.

Lance's hand hangs loosely over the armrest of the pilot seat.

Keith feels sick.

He rushes forward, nearly slipping in his rush to get around the seat. He needs to see—Lance, Lance, Lance.

The Blue Paladin of Voltron lies slumped in his chair, helmet pressed against his shoulder as his body gives into the weight of unconsciousness.

At least, that's what Keith only dares to hope. He refuses to accept the alternative.

Gingerly, with shaking fingers, he lifts Lance head to pull off the helmet. The sight of blood trickling down Lance's temple makes him suck in a ragged, scared breath, but the jostling must have been enough to wake Lance up, because he's letting out the softest of sounds, a ghost of a whisper:

“Keith.”

“I'm here, I'm here,” Keith breathes. He pulls Lance's hand into his own, squeezing the fingers tightly. He feels them weakly squeeze back. “Stay with me, Lance, _please_.”

“Mm,” Lance mumbles. “The world... spinning.”

“Are you hurt seriously?”

“M'fine,” Lance hums, a little dopily, and Keith frowns.

“Lance,” he scolds, because he's done this before—lied about his wounds so that others go into the healing pods before him, even though he needs it far more than they do.

“Just... hit m' head,” Lance huffs, and lifts himself enough to settle his unfocused gaze in Keith's general direction.

“Oh my God,” Keith whispers, running finger along Lance's jaw. It drags through the drying blood, smears over Lance's skin, and Keith feels everything in his being still into one terrified moment. “Jesus, you're concussed, I think. God—Lance, I thought—I though something happened.”

“Told ya.... m'fine.”

Keith leans forward, pressing his face into the crook between Lance's shoulder and neck, lets Lance lean his cheek against Keith's forehead. “I—you scared the shit out of me, asshole. I thought you—you died. I don't know what I'd do without you.”

It's not until Keith has to sniffle to breathe that he realizes he's crying, tears pressing into the sweat-soaked skin of Lance's neck as he clings tightly to Lance's hand. His heart flutters with lingering adrenaline and the fear of untold promises. “I need you,” he breathes. “We all do. But—but I... I wouldn't be who I am without you Lance. I...”

“I love you,” Lance blurts, and giggles, almost hysterically. “Ha, said it first.”

“I take it back,” Keith grumbles, pulling back and wiping the tears from his cheeks with the back of his free hand. “I hate you.”

“Didn't say it yet,” Lance huffs. “Can't take back what you didn't put forward.”

“You need a healing pod. Can you walk?”

Lance reaches up blindly, groping at the air, and Keith directs his arms around Keith's shoulder. He's half-carrying him, half guiding him as Lance relies heavily on Keith to lead him out of his lion.

“Hey...” Lance mumbles, as Keith helps him settle in his lap, carefully seated in Red. They can come back for Blue after Lance is in a pod. “Hey... not...? Not going to say it back?”

Keith lets out a quiet sigh, but he feels the trepidation from earlier replaced with gentle affection. First times like this were supposed to be shared whispers in quiet moments of love-making or meaningful milestones in a relationship, but he supposes he and Lance have never actually done anything by the books. They fly giant robot cats, after all.

He presses his forehead to Lance's, feels Lance's breath fan across his face.

“I love you,” he says, with absolute sincerity, and still Lance bursts into giggles. “Okay,” he sighs immediately afterward. “Healing pods. And when you get out, we can do this for real.”

“This... is real, right?” Lance huffs, still trying to stifle his laughter.

“Yeah, but you won't remember it. You never do, you little shit.”

“I might... this time,” Lance hums, and leans his head on Keith's shoulder. “We're a good team, right?”

Keith feels his heart stutter in his chest, wonders if Lance can hear it. “Yeah,” he breathes, shifting Red into the air. “Yeah, we are.”

 


End file.
